This North Carolina City Is The Number One Best Seaside City For Fall

The mountains get a lot of hype in the fall. And for good reasons- gorgeous colors of the leaves, that crisp mountain air, hayrides, corn mazes, and small towns. But the coast can be a fun, relaxing, and not-as-crowded fall destination as well. Plus being at the beach, when it’s not 100 degrees outside is much more enjoyable. And you can probably get a discount on your accommodations. Does this sound like a trip you want to take? If so look no further than Beaufort, NC. The North Carolina city of Beaufort (there is one in SC as well) topped Fodor’s Travel’s list of the Best Seaside Cities For Fall.

Beaufort is in Carteret County and was established in 1713 making it the fourth oldest town in North Carolina. Today it is a thriving town of the Crystal Coast, centered around a marina. Beaufort is full of history including the Beaufort Historic Site and North Carolina Maritime Museum. Learn more about visiting Beaufort here. Beaufort wasn’t the only Carolina town to make the list. The other one, was in South Carolina but was not the town of the same name. That would have been too perfect. Instead, Charleston was the South Carolina city represented on this list.

Fall is a fantastic time to visit Charleston when the humidity isn’t quite as bad. Of course, if you’re visiting any seaside city in the fall you have to keep an eye on the weather and the potential for hurricanes! If you’re looking for a slightly farther away trip some other of my favorite cities also made this list. These include Newport Rhode Island, Carmel By The Sea, California, and Montauk, New York. Whether you choose to visit the mountains of the coast this fall, I hope you have the time and means to enjoy some sort of vacation! View the full Fodors list here.

Looking for that perfect, relaxing getaway in North Carolina? While there are certainly plenty of major hotels and places to visit, you may be looking for a different type of vacation. Perhaps one that is a little more relaxed, but still with lots of luxury and personalized service and experiences. If this sounds like what you’re craving you may want to try a stay at a boutique hotel. These smaller hotels can provide that little something extra that larger places just can’t. And luckily for you, you won’t have to go far to experience the best of the best. A waterfront North Carolina boutique hotel was named the best in the country by USA Today.

But that’s not all. Two other hotels in North Carolina also made the top 5 of the USAToday 10Best list. And no matter what part of the state you reside in one of these three hotels is close enough for a quick weekend giveaway. One is located in the Smoky Mountains, the other the Outer Banks, and the third in an unsuspecting North Carolina city. These three hotels were awarded this honor along with hotels in Dillon Montana, Eugene Oregon, New Orleans, Chicago, and LA among others. And it’s pretty impressive that with stiff competition from major cities not only did a North Carolina boutique hotel top this list, but 3 of 10 winners were in the state.

But how is a hotel named one of the “10 best”? USA Today conducts these rankings in a variety of categories monthly. Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. From there 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Then USA Today readers can vote once per category, per day. And the top 10 become the “10 best”. Learn more about the three North Carolina boutique hotels that received this award below. View the full USA Today 10 Best list of boutique hotels here.

A post shared by The Graylyn Estate (@graylynestate)

Would you have guessed this hotel reminiscent of a European castle is located in Winston-Salem, NC? Originally built as a private home the Graylyn was once the second largest privately owned home in North Carolina. Today it is an 85-room hotel and conference center situated on 55 acres.

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A post shared by The Everett Hotel and Bistro (@bistroateverett)

Located in the center of Bryson City’s historic district you’ll find the luxury The Everett. This hotel at the gateway to the Smokies houses 10 suites as well as a restaurant and bar in what was initially Bryson City Bank built in 1908.

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A post shared by Beaufort Hotel (@beaufort_hotel_nc)

Named the best boutique hotel in America (for the second straight year!) is the Beaufort Hotel. Located on the Crystal Coast of the Southern Outer Banks this 133-room hotel feels like a resort.

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